When Sean O’Brien was cleared for the deciding Test of the Lions series with New Zealand after being found not guilty of intentionally making contact with Waisake Naholo’s head in a tackle, the Kiwi media were furious.

A judicial committee decided the contact was accidental and not reckless. But the jingoistic home press thought otherwise and no amount of argument to the contrary was going to make them budge.

Ireland flanker O’Brien had been cited by Australian citing commissioner Scott Nowland on the grounds it was a red card offence.

O’Brien had denied any wrong-doing at a marathon three-and-a-half hours plus disciplinary hearing in Wellington.

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He was cleared by an all-Australian judicial panel of Adam Casselden, David Croft and former international John Langford.

But just how did the disciplinary process work?

Robert Williams, whose South Wales law firm Hutchinson Thomas has supplied four members of an elite group of independent judicial officers who preside over the global game, explains all....

How did you become involved?

Robert Williams: When the European Cup started in 1995, match commissioners were brought in and appointed to each game to deal with disciplinary issues.

Their job was to ensure there is consistency. They took lawyers with them who were the clerks of the process.

I got involved through Huw Lewis, who was secretary of my club Neath Athletic and was on the WRU. He asked me to assist at a game and I stayed involved until stepping down recently.

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I began doing matches regularly and, because I couldn’t be in two places at the same time, my colleague Roger Morris started doing it, then Simon Thomas and, most recently, Rhian Williams.

We are partners in the same law firm in Neath which, I suppose, is quite extraordinary in itself because the number of independent judicial officers around the world isn’t high.

It was only by chance, through Huw, that I and others from our firm got involved. But we aren’t allowed to be on panels dealing with our home teams: Ospreys, Wales and Lions.

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What knowledge do you require to be a judicial officer?

RW: A thorough knowledge of rugby’s rules and regulations. We attend courses. Lawyers are familiar with the test of balance and probability, and it’s important there’s consistency in disciplinary hearings.

It is essential to involve individuals who, whilst having a sound knowledge of the game, have legal training so that they can separate themselves from any emotion or surrounding media attention and simply stick to the process and the facts.

It’s an unpaid role, a labour of love, and it could take up the best part of a week of your time but I enjoyed every minute of it.

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What happens when a player appears at a hearing?

RW: He or she is asked if they accept they committed an act of foul play. If they do, we examine the incident and decide on a sanction.

You tick off a checklist, things like the severity of the offence, a player’s previous record, remorse, any mitigating circumstance, the effect on the victim and the match in which the offence took place.

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It’s crucial World Rugby has a system in place that deals with instances of foul play quickly, efficiently and consistently.

But, despite all judicial officers following the same procedure, it is impossible to please everyone and decisions and bans may remain controversial.

Clubs and players also have the right to appeal the initial ban on the basis that the judicial officer made a mistake in following the process or that new evidence means the case should be heard again.